Galatians 2:11-14

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain m en came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles;’ but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to life like Jews?”

Cephas is the Aramaic name for Peter (“Rock”). Not so rocky and strong here however. Again when you see a “but” in Paul’s letters, it is time to stop and take note…somehow he is underscoring or preparing you for a large point.

Peter had no excuse, cause of his vision in ACTS to let the Gentiles into the church, to bow to this false teaching – not in line with the “truth” of the Gospel. Specifically that Gentiles can inherit the promises given to Abraham and can do it through faith and apart by “works of the Law” (becoming a convert to Judaism first).

Even Peter slipped back and depending more on man’s opinions than God’s revelation. And Paul was correct in rebuking him for it. He was not being a good example, and he was not following the Gospel of Jesus.

Bottom Line:
• It is the message, and not the messenger that is important. Though the messenger can destroy the message (false prophets, etc). All leaders must let the message shape their lives so much that it becomes second nature to live out the instructions that they now give. Not forced, but natural. Then these embarrassing scenes would be a lot fewer!

As I sit here in India:
• It is very important that the ‘cultural’ view of Jesus, Christianity, church governance (ie: 401C3) be left at the doors of the plane in Washington, D.C. and that I try not to transplant those issues here. It is biblical Christianity that people need, and even the church in America needs to discover core issues again. Why would I want to make people become “my type of Christian” before I will accept them? Why must they practice their faith our particular ways ?
• As I look over successful movements of Christianity here in India… the most controversial ‘contextualized’ approaches often seem the most likely to succeed. Without plowing up the Gospel and editing it… just as bad as adding to it… there are bridges already built by God for us to cross here to usher Christ into peoples paradigms. I must not shrink like Peter, or pervert the heart of God and the truth of the Gospel like the Judiazers.